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The Lowndes County Career Technical Center hosted a Skills for Success training Oct. 3 – 4, giving ten local students yet another opportunity to prepare for careers after high school.

The center partnered with Trenholm State Community College to host the hands-on training. 

“We had ten students complete the Skills for Success certification through training provided by Trenholm State Community College,” said LCCTC Agriscience Instructor Kelsey Thomas. ‘Trenholm sent an instructor, Lewis Tillery and sent the equipment down here.”

Thomas said the students practiced operating two skid steers under Tillery’s direction.

After completing the two-day course, the students — Tyler McBlackmon, Azavian Martin, Jacarrion Peagler, Eugene Rudolph, Iyuanna Wallace, Kawanni McPherson, Alacia Brazil, Jacarie Peagler, Mondrell Hill and Me’Kel Pelton — earned their skid steer operator certification and adding another career readiness indicator (CRI) to their resume.

“In high school, it is mandatory for students to earn a CRI which is a college and career readiness indicator,” said LCCTC Director Shameka Baker. “Students have to earn a college and career readiness indicator CCRI for graduation, and one way to earn that is a CRI like skid steer training.”

The students are now fully certified to operate a skid steer, Thomas emphasized.

“They earned a career certification that they can take out on a job interview to show they passed that training,” Thomas said. “Students who are seniors can go out into the workforce with that certification. It gives them a credential which they can use to provide for themselves.”

According to Baker, the training is one of the center’s programs designed to help students become ready to enter the workforce.

“The students earning a skid steer certification helps with some hands-on experience with equipment,” Baker said. “And it also opens them up to the world in our career field, where students can actually use their certification to go straight to work through construction. If they decide to do some of the ag science careers, they actually need to learn how to move a skid steer to help with digging and pavement, etc. 

“So the students learn all of that through their campus classes, which they had to take first before the hands-on training. It kind of opens them up and gives them an opportunity to use a different skill set that they learned in high school to prepare them for employment after high school.”

Thomas said Lowndes County Public Schools are working to form partnerships that will connect students with employment opportunities. For now, learners certified through Trenholm are placed on a job board where prospective employers can view their credentials.